I prefer to fight in the same manner as Batfink/Mechanic, and agree with his idea. I think that a combination of the puffy ack/better defenses at the bases, combined with a scaling back of the size of the maps a little as well as the number of bases will promote better gameplay. It would take a MUCH more deliberate effort to take a base, and bring back a lot of the fights "in the middle" that the game used to be about long ago.
I think if it was instituted by HTC, even as a trial for a week or in a separate "trial MA", it would be accepted in short order by a large majority of the players. Everyone seems to have a complaint about something, and when this happens in any community, ANY change is usually a good thing.
I think that's what I would like to see - a "trial MA" with smaller maps with less bases, and much better defenses for the bases in close. The adding of the guns at VH bases was one thing, but nothing was done to bolster the AA systems at the regular fields. More auto ack in the 37mm range, and more auto puffy 88mm and 5" type guns, and even some more manned guns, would push the fights where there are say less than a dozen players just hovering near the capped base picking guys off easily as they up. I've done it, we've all done it, even those of us who prefer to fight in the middle zone away from bases. This way, guys on the deck will have more room to get up to fighting alt, get a bit of equalization E wise with the guys hovering over the bases, and generally make things a little more fair. I realize it isn't "realistic", but who cares, I'd rather have a game with some change in the dynamic now and then and less consideration regarding how WW2 went.